A 38-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of 65-year-old Nashir Ahmed on Sunday, 10 March, 2024.
Mr Ahmed died following an incident at a bus stop on Ferry Road, Edinburgh, near to its junction with Great Junction Street and Coburg Street, around 8.30pm.
The man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today (Friday, 22 March).
A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
POLICE are continuing enquiries following the murder of 65-year-old Nashir Ahmed on Sunday, 10 March, 2024.
Mr Ahmed was standing with a 48-year-old man at a bus stop on Ferry Road, Edinburgh, Leith Library, around 8.30pm when they were approached by another man who then attacked them.
Emergency services attended and both men were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Mr Ahmed later died in hospital on Friday, 15 March, 2024.
Mr Ahmed’s family said: “Nashir was a loving husband and father. He was a big part of our family and we are devastated at losing him.
“He was heavily involved in Edinburgh’s Bangladeshi community and will be greatly missed. He loved life and cared for all his family and friends. We will always remember his warmth and his kindness.”
His attacker is described as black, around 30-years of age, with short, dark hair. He was wearing a red tartan scarf and a long, black jacket with a hood.
Detective Chief Inspector George Calder said: “A family has been left feeling bereft as they come to terms with losing someone so integral to their lives. The circumstances are heart breaking, and I can’t possibly imagine the pain they are feeling during these difficult times.
“We continue to follow up several lines of inquiry and I would reiterate my appeal to anyone who has any information about this crime or the person responsible to contact us. Any small piece of information could be crucial in our ongoing investigation, so please do pass it on.
“Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference 2805 of 10 March. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”
Officers in Leith have seized drugs worth an estimated street value of £46,000 and charged 16 people with drugs offences as part of Operation Elate in Leith.
In response to community concerns, the operation running through March has seen and will see officers focus on tackling drug crime and drug-related harm in the area. This is a partnership initiative dedicated to disrupting the drugs trade while directing vulnerable adults, young people and children to the support they require.
Enforcement, where necessary, has been taking place with 16 people, aged between 15 and 50, charged in relation to drugs offences. Drugs, including Diamorphine and Cocaine have been seized. Intelligence led-searches have also been carried out under warrant at five addresses in the Edinburgh area.
Sergeant Marr of Leith Police Station said: “Removing illegal drugs and targeting criminals who seek to profit from other people’s misery continues to be a priority for us and our communities.
“People involved in the supply of drugs make money out of addiction and vulnerability. They risk people’s lives for their own financial gain, and often, use this to fund other forms of serious and organised crime.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to tackling this type of criminality, officers are carrying out additional patrols in the Leith area and engaging with the community to identify local concerns so the appropriate action can be taken.
“We rely on the support of the public and we would urge anyone with any information regarding drugs in their communities to contact 101. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”
A 65-year-old man has died in hospital after being seriously assaulted in Edinburgh on the evening of Sunday, 10 March, 2024.
Nashir Ahmed was standing with a 48-year-old man at a bus stop on Ferry Road near to its junction with Great Junction Street and Coburg Street, when they were approached by another man who then attacked them.
Emergency services attended and both men were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
The 48-year-old victim was discharged after receiving treatment for serious leg and facial injuries however Mr Ahmed later died in hospital on Friday, 15 March, 2024. His family are aware.
Detectives are treating his death as murder and are renewing their appeal for any information which could assist their investigation.
From enquiries carried out so far, the suspect is described as black, around 30-years of age with short, dark hair. He was wearing a red tartan scarf and a long, black jacket with a hood.
Detective Chief Inspector George Calder said: “Our thoughts and condolences are with Mr Ahmed’s family and the other victim and specialist officers are supporting them during this extremely difficult time.
“This was a completely random and unprovoked assault on Mr Ahmed and his friend and it is absolutely vital that we trace the individual responsible for this despicable and senseless crime.
“Ferry Road would have been busy around the time and we would continue to urge anyone who witnessed this attack as well as anyone with dash-cam or private CCVV footage of the area which could be of significance, to please get in touch.
“Incidents of this nature can understandably cause concern to the local community however we are following a number of positive lines of enquiry and there will continue to be additional patrols in the area to provide reassurance.
“Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference 2805 of 10 March. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Around 70 firefighters, 12 fire appliances and additional specialist resources are currently in attendance at a well-developed fire involving a high rise building in the Breadalbane area of Bonnington.
“We received the call at 4.10am following reports of a fire within a flat.
“The building has been evacuated and firefighting operations remain ongoing.
“There are no reported casualties at this time involving members of the public.
“One firefighter has sustained minor injuries and has received treatment from Scottish Ambulance Service at the scene.”
POLICE are in attendance at a fire at the block of flats in Breadalbane Road.. Approximately 100 local residents have been evacuated and a police cordon is in place.
UPDATE at 10am:
“Around 70 firefighters, 12 fire appliances and additional specialist resources are currently in attendance at a well-developed fire involving a high rise building in the Breadalbane area of Bonnington, City of Edinburgh.”
The Persimmon Homes building is understood to house 111 flats. Some are believed to have been destroyed in the blaze.
PICTURE: Local resident HARRY WILLIAMS
POLICE are appealing for information after two men were seriously assaulted in Leith on Sunday evening (10 March, 2024).
Around 8.30pm, the two men aged 48 and 65, were standing at a bus stop on Ferry Road near to its junction with Great Junction Street and Coburg Street, when they were approached by a man who then attacked them.
Police and ambulance attended and the men were both taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where they are receiving treatment.
The suspect is described as black, around 30 years of age with short, dark hair. He was wearing a red tartan scarf and a long, black jacket with a hood.
Detective Inspector Steven Gray of Gayfield Police Station said: “This is a busy area and I would urge anyone who witnessed this attack take place, or anyone with information that may assist us to come forward as soon as possible.
“I would also ask anyone driving in this area around the time of this incident to check their dash-cam footage and please contact us with anything relevant.
“Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference 2805 of 10 March. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”
As part of an operation to combat illegal substances in the north east area of Edinburgh a man has been arrested and charged in connection with drugs offences.
Officers from Operation Elate arrested the 26-year-old man around 5.40pm yesterday (Wednesday, 6 March, 2024) in Elgin Street, Leith. Subsequently, class A drugs with a street value of £5,160 and over £700 in cash were recovered.
The man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday 4th April.
Chief Inspector Kieran Dougal said: “Drugs cause miseries in our communities and officers continue to work to remove illegal substances from our streets.
“Information from the public has an important role and we ask anyone with concerns about drugs to contact Police Scotland via 101 or make a call anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
The Dreadnought, Leith, has won an influential award at the PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards 2024.
Owner Roisin Therese was at the ceremony in the Houses of Commons to accept the award for being the best Community Regular Hero pub in Scotland. The award celebrates the work that the pub does to fundraise or support the community.
The pub saw competition from over 1,000 entries nationwide for the prestigious pub industry awards, now in their fifth year.
On winning the award, Roisin Therese said: “I am very pleased to accept this award in recognition of the work we have done through the Dreadnought and the Save The Pride Bridge campaign to promote queer visibility and representation.
“Despite the many challenges of running a pub during the last few years, we hope to continue to provide a community hub and to support local causes through our fundraising, food bank and winter clothes collection drives, and engagement with other local organisations. We will continue to provide a safe and inclusive space that celebrates the queer community.”
The pub won because it led the Save the Pride Bridge campaign to help protect a local landmark from being demolished. The Pride Bridge is a community art project in a public space that is important to local residents. It is painted by a diverse group of locals and has become a renowned LGBTQ landmark, and the first of its kind in Edinburgh.
Des O’Flanagan, co-founder of PubAid, added: “The annual event is always very special for us and all the pubs who made it through to the finals.
“It is wonderful to hear so many stories of Publicans who do so much for their local communities and it’s heart-warming that pubs raise so much money for local and national charities and their regular customers are so generous when the cost of living makes things tough for many people.
“All 1,000 nominations we received are worthy of a congratulations but a special mention needs to be for those who made it through to the finals. The standard or entry this year has been so high that it gave our expert judges some difficult decisions.”
PubAid, which organises the awards in association with Matthew Clark and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, refreshed the awards and created more categories to congratulate more community pubs throughout the UK. There were 33 finalists in total across five categories.
Blue Ball in England won the Community Support Hero award for its region.
POLICE are appealing for information after a 25-year-old man was seriously assaulted on Pilrig Street, yesterday (Tuesday, 27 February, 2024).
Around 2.05pm, police were called to the entrance to Pilrig Park. The injured man was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where is being treated for stab wounds. Hospital staff describe his condition as serious.
Detective Inspector Dougal Begg said: “We would urge anyone who was in the area at the time who witnessed this serious assault take place, or who has any information that may assist our investigation to come forward.
“Enquiries are continuing and officers are gathering and viewing CCTV footage for more information. I would also urge any drivers with dash-cam footage or those with personal footage to contact us as soon as possible.”
Information can be passed to 101 quoting reference number 1698 of 27 February. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.
AN INNOVATIVE charity hub has created a purpose-built new HQ for one of Scotland’s most important organisations dedicated to ending homelessness.
Cyrenians has already spent 25 years based in Norton Park in Edinburgh but was spread across several units in the former school, which is home to 21 third sector organisations.
When a rare space came available in the building – renowned as the home of charities in Edinburgh – bosses at the hub bent over backwards to ensure it was refitted to perfectly suit the needs of Cyrenians.
Now the 220-strong charity, dedicated to tackling both the causes and consequences of homelessness has moved into a space almost double the size of its previous offices, which had become cramped as the organisation grew steadily.
Last year alone Cyrenians supported over 10,800 people experiencing or who were at risk of homelessness.
Delighted Catherine Bromley, marketing and communications manager with Cyrenians, heaped praise on Norton Park – a charity in its own right – as a brilliant landlord providing specialist and affordable offices space to those in the third sector.
She added: “Being in Norton Park, we are close to many other organisations who are striving towards similar goals. That opens us up to so many opportunities for collaboration, which has been fantastic.
“The facilities and amenities at Norton Park enable our staff to collaborate more effectively as we work to make real, lasting change in the lives of people in Scotland.
“We are launching a strategic plan for 2024 to 2027 and the move to the bigger space is very much consolidation for us as we strive to focus on and strengthen the services we offer at a time when Scotland is facing a housing emergency and we have never been more needed.”
The milestone move for Cyrenians means the organisation is now based in 3100 sq feet of space at Norton Park, where previously its team were spread across 3 units in the building with a total footprint of just 2800 sq ft. It also has offices in Falkirk and the Borders.
Since moving into Norton Park in 1999, Cyrenians has undergone significant expansion, currently providing 63 essential services across seven local authorities.
It attributes the expansion to the growing need for its services as a result of the persisting housing crisis and rising cost of living, leading to heightened levels of homelessness and temporary accommodation placements for many Scots.
Norton Park, in the heart of Leith, was a primary and secondary school which catered to generations of Edinburgh youngsters since 1903.
However, it later fell into disrepair until 1998, when it was rescued by the former Albion Trust (now known as Norton Park SCIO) which was founded to transform the building.
Continued investment means it now boasts a campus of modern shared offices, serviced with a reception – and fully accessible conference meeting and events spaces. Its conference centre, housed in a converted church adjacent to the school, provides space for up to 120 delegates.
It provides rent and services to charities significantly below market rates, enabling them to put more money back into their various missions.
Yolanda Wringe, Chief Operational Officer from Norton Park said: “Over the past 25 years we’ve had the privilege of accommodating Cyrenians and witnessing its remarkable growth as an organisation.
“Our aim to create a supportive community for these vital organisations so they can focus on their mission-driven work.
“From charities with a two people-strong team to 220 people, our premises enable sharing of experiences and resources which can help enable organisations like Cyrenians to grow.”
Norton Park is Edinburgh’s first office complex exclusively for charities and social enterprises, offering discounted rates for registered charities, community groups and public sector organisations.
The eco-friendly building offers flexible leasing arrangements and specially designed spaces to foster productivity and cooperation among non-profits.
